Christie Holds Town Hall Today In Fort Lee

For Immediate Release:
Tuesday, April 1st, 2014

(Fort Lee, NJ) – Today, Governor Chris Christie will hold his 117th Town Hall meeting in Fort Lee.
“Just like every other town hall we’ve held this year, Fort Lee is a municipality I carried last November,” said Christie. “I look forward to meeting with local residents and answering what’s on their mind. Frankly, folks don't care about unimportant things like closing access lanes to the George Washington Bridge. If for some reason they do care, they can just read the completely comprehensive, impartial, thorough report on the matter released last week.” “……,” said Michael Drewniak, Christie Spokesman. “……..”

“In light of spokesman Mike Drewniak barely speaking to the press for the past 85 days, today I am proud to join Governor Christie’s circle of trust,” said Joshua Henne, Christie’s new spokesman. “The governor and I both love Bruce Springsteen and the Mets. For those reasons, it’s an honor to work the cones alongside Governor Christie today in Fort Lee.”

As always, today’s town hall will have several ground rules. However, based on recent disruptions of attendees attempting to ask difficult questions, a few more regulations have been added. For example, there will be no questions allowed about anything that starts with the letter “S”. This includes – but is not limited to – the following terms: “Subpoenas”, “Samson”, “Stepien”, “Scandal”, “Sokolich” and “Serbian”.

Exceptions will be made to the rule when it comes to “Superstorm Sandy” – however it will only be allowed if the question is about Christie’s fleece or to simply make an obsequious statement of support for the governor. You will be cut off or ignored if you ask about funneling Sandy funds to towns not hit by the hurricane, how the Economic Development Authority has failed to get grants to affected small businesses, or how relief dollars were used for a “Stronger Than The Storm” commercial showcasing Christie and his smiling family in an election year.

Please arrive very, very, very, very early - as traffic has been known to build up at the nearby George Washington Bridge during rush hour. Because this is the first Town Hall not held in a municipality with a mayor or other elected officials friendly with the governor, those attendees endorsing Christie will be given preferential seating, as well as the potential to have access to Sandy rebuilding funds.

Special to today’s town hall will be a specific lane dedicated for the “children of Buono voters.” And if anyone has questions about why that is, and why it takes so long to drive through the town, police officers have been told to direct questions to Mayor Mark Sokolich. If you are a reporter, don’t even try to ask a question during or after the event. Members of the media will have to wait another 80 days for the next opportunity to be berated by Governor Christie when he holds his next Friday 3 pm press conference.

Attendees are encouraged to ask what David Letterman and Jimmy Fallon are like in person. Sports are a good topic, too. For example, feel free to ask Christie who he thinks the Dallas Cowboys should draft next month. However, please do not ask questions about how quiet Christie was during the Super Bowl following the release of David Wildstein’s letter alluding to evidence existing on bridgegate. Along those same lines, please refrain from asking about how the Christie Administration bungled the NJTransit system going to-and-from the SuperBowl even though they had years to plan for the event.

Participants are encouraged to snap a “selfie” with the Governor. Especially if they have adorable children in tow and tell Christie how great he is. However, any signs calling on Christie to resign, asking how an investigation on bridgegate can be considered “thorough” without interviewing the five key members of his administration - or expressing any First Amendment rights at all for that matter – will be immediately confiscated.

For commentary following today’s town hall, you can catch both Assemblyman John Wisniewski and Senator Loretta Weinberg on MSNBC this evening at 5 pm, 5:20 pm, 5:45 pm, 6 pm, 6:25 pm, 6:50 pm, 7:15 pm, 7:30 pm, 8 pm, 8:20 pm, 8:45 pm, 9 pm, 9:15 pm, 9:30 pm, 9:45 pm, 10:10 pm, 10:30 pm and 10:50 pm.

ICYMI: HUD Inspector General Will Audit NJ Tourism Marketing Campaign in Response to Pallone Letter

Washington, DC – Congressman Frank Pallone, Jr. announced today that the Office of the Inspector General at the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) will audit the State of New Jersey’s use of $25 million of Sandy aid funds for a marketing campaign to promote tourism at the Jersey Shore. At issue is the bidding process for the campaign and released documents which raise questions as to why the state chose to award the contract to a firm that charged the state over $2 million more than a comparable bid for similar work.

When drafting its Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Action Plan, the State of New Jersey requested a waiver to spend $25 million of its CDBG award on a marketing campaign to promote the Jersey Shore and encourage tourism, to which HUD agreed. In a letter sent August 8, 2013, Congressman Pallone wrote to HUD Inspector General David A. Montoya to request an investigation into the utilization of this federal funding and whether it was spent appropriately.

“I commend the HUD Office of the Inspector General for investigating whether the state properly utilized taxpayer funds for this marketing campaign,” Pallone said. “Working with my New Jersey colleagues, we had to fight hard to get the Sandy aid package passed by assuring others in Congress the funding was desperately needed and would be spent responsibly. I also raised concerns that Governor Christie and his family appeared in taxpayer-funded advertisements during an election year.”

Last year, in response to Pallone’s letter, HUD’s Office of the Inspector General conducted a survey, or basic review, of the matter in order to determine if an audit of the State of New Jersey's actions was warranted. Last week, the Inspector General’s office notified Pallone that they have found enough evidence to justify a full-scale audit of the state’s usage of the federal funds. The audit will be complete in several months at which time an official report will be issued.

Following is the full text of Pallone’s August 2013 letter:



August 8, 2013

David A. Montoya
Inspector General
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20410

Dear Inspector General Montoya,

I write to you today regarding the State of New Jersey’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Action Plan. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provided a waiver for the state to spend $25 million of its CDBG award on a marketing campaign to promote the Jersey Shore and encourage tourism. While promoting tourism at the Jersey Shore in the wake of Hurricane Sandy is certainly a worthy endeavor, recent reports have led me to believe that the state has irresponsibly misappropriated funding allocated by Congress from the Sandy aid package and taken advantage of this waiver for political purposes. I respectfully request that you review and investigate the contract, bidding process utilized by the State of New Jersey, and appropriateness of the content of this marketing campaign.

Recently released documents relating to the bidding process and contract award for this marketing campaign show that the contract was awarded to a firm that is charging over $2 million more than the next lowest bidder to develop the marketing plan. The winning firm is being paid $4.7 million for their work, while a comparable firm proposed billing the state $2.5 million for similar work. This large discrepancy between the competing proposals raises concerns as to whether these federal funds are being spent in the most cost effective manner, and should be reviewed by your office.

I am also concerned that the winning bid proposed including Governor Chris Christie in the advertisements, while the lower cost proposal that was not selected did not. As you know, the Governor is running for reelection this year in a high profile race. It is inappropriate for taxpayer-funded dollars that are critical to our state’s recovery from this natural disaster to fund commercials that could potentially benefit a political campaign. In these sensitive circumstances, even the appearance of a conflict of interest should be avoided.

The fact that this particular proposal was chosen despite an obvious conflict of interest, in addition to the higher costs, raises serious concerns with the entire process. I fought hard for passage of the Sandy aid package in Congress by assuring my colleagues that this funding was critical to our recovery and that it would be spent responsibly without waste, fraud and abuse. Many in Congress objected to this funding precisely because of concerns their citizens’ tax dollars would be misspent. In that regard, the state’s mismanagement of taxpayer funds for this marketing campaign is extremely troubling, especially when there are so many New Jersey residents still in need of assistance to recover and rebuild from this historic storm.

Once again, I ask that you investigate the state’s actions regarding this contract selection process, the appropriateness of the Governor appearing in taxpayer-funded advertisements in an election year, and report back to Congress with your findings. We must ensure all taxpayer funds from the Sandy aid package are being spent appropriately. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.

Sincerely,

FRANK PALLONE, JR.
Member of Congress

Star Ledger Editorial: Our thin-skinned governor

Evidently the big guy can dish it out but he's a little sensitive when it comes to himself. The below editorial appeared today in The Star-Ledger and hits the nail on the head when it comes to Christie's hypocritical and contrived outrage over a comment made by his Democratic rival, Barbara Buono that he insists was targeted towards his girth :

In a daring political stroke, Gov. Chris Christie is making a strategic pitch to capture the obese vote in New Jersey.

The strategy is designed to make fat people mad at state Sen. Barbara Buono by claiming that she poked fun at the governor’s weight.

“For me and for other folks across New Jersey – many folks – who are challenged by their weight, the fact that someone running for governor would make derisive comments about someone’s physical appearance is really beneath the office she is seeking. I’m disappointed that she’s done it.”

The catch is this: Buono (D-Middlesex) did no such thing. This is a fake tantrum, a ploy that is so cynical you almost have to admire it. 

The offending comment came during a Buono speech when she criticized the governor for making himself the star of a $25 million ad campaign that is supposed to encourage visits to the Shore. 

Buono criticized his shameless self-promotion with Sandy relief money; not his weight.
Here’s what she said: “I don’t know about you, but seeing Chris Christie frolicking on the beach is not going to drive me to go to the Shore.”

That’s it. You may have expected a reference to the governor’s weight, to his Lap-Band surgery, or to the jelly doughnuts he wolfed down with David Letterman. 

Buono, unlike Letterman, has never criticized the governor over his weight. She was objecting to his shameless self-promotion in the TV campaign, and the fact that the governor’s team agreed to pay $2 million extra for a campaign that ensured the governor would personally appear in the advertisements. 

That kind of self-promotion by a governor is illegal in some states, including New York. And remember, to pay for it the governor dipped into a pot of money earmarked for Sandy victims, many of whom remain in desperate shape.

It was special to hear the governor say that Buono’s comments are “beneath the office she is seeking.” This is a guy who loves to roll in the mud, who calls his critics numbnuts, liars and idiots. 

Who knew he could be so thin-skinned himself?

Video: Gov. Christie says, 'we know what' Buono meant by beach 'frolicking' comment New Jersey Gov. Christie was asked for a second day in a row about comments made by his November election opponent, Democratic state Sen. Barbara Buono that he interpreted as being a joke about his weight. Buono says her comment were simply a criticism of his appearance in the 'Stronger than the Storm' television commercials aimed at attracting business to the Hurricane Sandy ravaged Jersey Shore.

 Here's what Baraba Buono actually said:

 

Pallone Calls for Investigation into Christie’s Misuse of Disaster Aid for Political Gain

Long Branch, NJ – Congressmen Frank Pallone, Jr. (NJ-06) today called for an investigation into the contract and bidding process used by Governor Chris Christie for the marketing campaign to promote the Jersey Shore and encourage tourism. While the Congressman supports the campaign, he questions whether Governor Christie took advantage of the federal funds for his personal political gain.

In a letter to the Inspector General of the U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development, Pallone questions the Governor’s decision to award the contract to a bidder that cost the state $2.2 million more than a comparable firm’s proposal. These taxpayer-funded television ads feature the Governor and have been aired in New Jersey and surrounding states during his reelection cycle. However, the proposal from the less expensive firm that was not chosen during the bidding process did not propose featuring the Governor in the ads.

“The fact that this particular proposal was chosen despite an obvious conflict of interest, in addition to the higher costs, raises serious concerns with the entire process. I fought hard for passage of the Sandy aid package in Congress by assuring our colleagues that this funding was critical to our recovery and that it would be spent responsibly without waste, fraud and abuse,” wrote Pallone in the letter.

Had Governor Christie chosen the less expensive firm, $2.2 million in federal disaster aid could have potentially been directed elsewhere, for example, to provide 44 Sandy impacted homeowners $50,000 grants to raise their homes.

Full text of the letter follows:

David A. Montoya
Inspector General
U.S. Department of Housing and Urban Development
451 7th Street, SW
Washington, DC 20410
August 8, 2013

Dear Inspector General Montoya,

I write to you today regarding the State of New Jersey’s Community Development Block Grant Disaster Recovery (CDBG-DR) Action Plan. The Department of Housing and Urban Development (HUD) provided a waiver for the state to spend $25 million of its CDBG award on a marketing campaign to promote the Jersey Shore and encourage tourism. While promoting tourism at the Jersey Shore in the wake of Hurricane Sandy is certainly a worthy endeavor, recent reports have led me to believe that the state has irresponsibly misappropriated funding allocated by Congress from the Sandy aid package and taken advantage of this waiver for political purposes. I respectfully request that you review and investigate the contract, bidding process utilized by the State of New Jersey, and appropriateness of the content of this marketing campaign.

Recently released documents relating to the bidding process and contract award for this marketing campaign show that the contract was awarded to a firm that is charging over $2 million more than the next lowest bidder to develop the marketing plan. The winning firm is being paid $4.7 million for their work, while a comparable firm proposed billing the state $2.5 million for similar work. This large discrepancy between the competing proposals raises concerns as to whether these federal funds are being spent in the most cost effective manner, and should be reviewed by your office.

I am also concerned that the winning bid proposed including Governor Chris Christie in the advertisements, while the lower cost proposal that was not selected did not. As you know, the Governor is running for reelection this year in a high profile race. It is inappropriate for taxpayer-funded dollars that are critical to our state’s recovery from this natural disaster to fund commercials that could potentially benefit a political campaign. In these sensitive circumstances, even the appearance of a conflict of interest should be avoided.

The fact that this particular proposal was chosen despite an obvious conflict of interest, in addition to the higher costs, raises serious concerns with the entire process. I fought hard for passage of the Sandy aid package in Congress by assuring my colleagues that this funding was critical to our recovery and that it would be spent responsibly without waste, fraud and abuse. Many in Congress objected to this funding precisely because of concerns their citizens’ tax dollars would be misspent. In that regard, the state’s mismanagement of taxpayer funds for this marketing campaign is extremely troubling, especially when there are so many New Jersey residents still in need of assistance to recover and rebuild from this historic storm.taxpayer

Once again, I ask that you investigate the state’s actions regarding this contract selection process, the appropriateness of the Governor appearing in taxpayer-funded advertisements in an election year, and report back to Congress with your findings. We must ensure all taxpayer funds from the Sandy aid package are being spent appropriately. Thank you for your attention to this important matter.


Sincerely,

FRANK PALLONE, JR.
Member of Congress

Christie's Shameful Self-Promotion Comes at the Expense of Sandy Victims

Josh Levitt
Buono for Governor


Democratic gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono called out Governor Christie yesterday for spending an extra $2 million in recovery funds to secure a starring role for himself in the Hurricane Sandy ad campaign. It's evident that, once again, Governor Christie's top priority is his national ambitions, not the needs of New Jerseyans. See for yourself below...

Christie Storm Ads ‘Unseemly,’ Challenger Buono Says
By Terrence Dopp//Bloomberg
Democrat Barbara Buono, who’s trailing Gov. Chris Christie in her bid to oust the popular Republican as governor of New Jersey, wants him to pay $2 million for his appearance in the trademark “Stronger Than the Storm” ad campaign. Christie selected politically connected PR firm MWW of East Rutherford to run the campaign, aimed at highlighting the Jersey Shore’s post-Hurricane Sandy re-emergence, at a cost of $5 million, the Asbury Park Press of Neptune reported Aug. 4. That bid was more than $2 million higher than the runner-up planned to charge, the paper said. The centerpiece of the $25 million, federally funded advertising blitz is a series of commercials featuring Christie and his family highlighting the state’s coastline as open for business and ready for beach-goers. Buono said Christie should take the money from his campaign account and re-direct it to Sandy relief efforts. “His blatant self-promotion on the road to the White House is always embarrassing, but when it comes at the cost of Sandy victims, it goes too far,” Buono, a sitting state senator and lawyer from Metuchen, told reporters today in a reference to Christie’s suspected presidential aspirations. “It’s wrong. It’s unjust. It’s unseemly.”

Christie's ego trumps financial sense, Buono alleges
By Jarrett Renshaw//The Star-Ledger
Gov. Chris Christie's national ambition knows no limits, his Democratic challenger, Barbara Buono, charged today. When selecting a marketing firm to help entice tourists to return to the Sandy-ravaged Jersey Shore, Christie did not choose the lowest bidder, Buono said at a news conference today. Instead, Buono charged that he gave the winning firm an extra $2 million because it promised to feature his image and voice in television and radio commercials as part of multi-million ad buy. "It is nothing short of outrageous that this governor would put his ego and national ambitions above helping people," Buono said. "He gave $2 million to secure a starring role in the equivalent of a campaign commercial."

Buono calls on Christie to repay funds spent on 'Stronger than the Storm' ads
By Melissa Hayes//The Record
Accusing Governor Christie of “paving the road to the White House,” Barbara Buono called on her Republican opponent to repay the state $2 million for a tourism marketing campaign that prominently features him. The Middlesex County Democratic state senator chastised Christie after touring a Neptune home devastated by superstorm Sandy Wednesday. The state used $25 million in federal funds to hire East Rutherford-based MWW public relations firm to carry out the marketing campaign. The firm, which has ties to both Republicans and Democrats, was not the low bidder, according to a recent report in the Asbury Park Press. The Asbury Park Press found that MWW and its subsidiary are getting $4.7 million for employee compensation and other costs, while The Sigma Group, based in Oradell, bid only $2.5 million. A main difference in the bid packages is that MWW’s “Stronger than the Storm Campaign” prominently features Christie, while The Sigma Group did not propose using the governor in television and radio ads. Buono called the ads “shameless self-promotion,” and said Christie should repay the difference in the two bid prices. “This is a governor who is putting his ego and his national ambition ahead of the victims,” she said standing in front of the home of John Lambert and Lee Ann Newland.

Buono: Christie should pay back money for MWW ad campaign
By Bob Jordan//Asbury Park Press
Saying Gov. Chris Christie is more interested in his national profile than in running New Jersey, Democratic gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono ripped into the Republican governor today for his administration’s awarding of a marketing contract to a company that used him in its television ads. "The shameless self-promotion is embarrassing. He's paving his road to the White House,” the Middlesex County state senator said during a noon press conference outside a home in Neptune Township. An Asbury Park Press investigation found that MWW, the powerhouse public relations firm with deep political connections in both the Republican and Democratic parties in the state, was awarded a $25 million contract, paid for with federal funds, to help the state advertise its recovery to potential tourists. The ad campaign, Stronger Than The Storm, features Christie and his family in the television and radio ads. Buono said Christie should pay the $2 million difference between the compensation included in the MWW contract and the compensation requested by the losing bidder, the Sigma Group.

Buono: Christie using Sandy ads to boost campaign
By Matt Katz//Philadelphia Inquirer
In a slashing attack accusing Gov. Christie of using the post-Sandy "Stronger Than the Storm" commercials to strengthen his own reelection campaign, his Democratic challenger, Barbara Buono, demanded Wednesday that he repay some of the millions of dollars being spent on the ads. Buono, a state senator from Middlesex County, launched her most direct assault yet on one of the Republican governor's key campaign assets - his shepherding of the state after Sandy - as she stood before a house gutted by the storm and owned by two teachers who say they have yet to receive rebuilding funds from the state. She seized on a weekend report in the Asbury Park Press indicating that Christie picked a high bidder for a federally funded, post-Sandy tourism advertising campaign. Another advertising agency would have cost $2 million less - but that agency didn't plan to make Christie the star of its TV commercials, according to the report. Buono wants Christie to take $2 million of his campaign money and direct it to victims of the storm.

Are the 'Stronger Than The Storm' ads political?
By Matt Katz//Philadelphia Inquirer
New Jersey may be stronger than the storm, as the jingle in the advertisement goes, but Gov. Christie isn't better than the victims of the storm. That's the message Christie's Democratic challenger, Sen. Barbara Buono (D., Middlesex), sought to send Wednesday at a news conference staged in front of a home gutted by Sandy and owned by two school teachers who said they've been denied rebuilding funds from the state. In her most direct attack yet on the Republican governor's chief political strength -- his shepherding of the state after Sandy -- Buono seized on a report last weekend from the Asbury Park Press indicating that Christie picked a high bidder for a federally-funded, post-Sandy tourism advertising campaign. Another advertising agency would have cost $2 million less -- except that agency didn't plan to include Christie in its commercials.

Buono to Christie: reimburse $2 million to the taxpayers
By Max Pizarro//Politicker NJ
Alongside Democratic gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono, Lee Ann Newland and John Lambert stood in front of the ravaged wreck of their ranch home here and denounced Gov. Chris Christie’s appearance in a ad ostensibly designed to boost beach tourism in the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy. “Wathcing the Jersey Strong ads and seeing the governor in them – I’m very disappointed,” Lamber t said. “It doesn’t seem right,” added Newland of the ads, which feature Christie boostering for the shore and cost the state taxpayers $5 million, according to a report in the Asbury Park Press.

Buono Rips Into Christie Over 'Stronger Than The Storm' Ads
By Keith Brown//Patch
Democratic gubernatorial candidate Barbara Buono on Wednesday ripped into Gov. Chris Christie, saying the governor was more concerned about national exposure than helping residents still reeling from superstorm Sandy. At a noon press conference in Neptune Township, Buono met with a Shark River Hills couple whose home was gutted by the October storm and nine months later remains uninhabitable, partly due to lack of state aid money. Buono called on Christie to return $2 million paid to a politically connected public relations firm that produced, with federal money, the "Stronger than the Storm" series of television commercials touting the Shore’s recovery and prominently featuring Christie and his family. The $2 million is the difference between the contract that was awarded and the bid of the losing firm. "This governor has used $2 million in recovery funds not to go to victims of Sandy," Buono said. "But to secure a starring role in what is the equivalent of a campaign ad.’"

Christie Puts Ego Before Sandy Victims

Josh Levitt
Buono for Governor


After the Asbury Park Press revealed that Governor Christie selected a more expensive proposal that prominently featured himself in marketing the Jersey Shore, papers across the state have roundly criticized him for this arrogant and self-serving decision. Take a look for yourself.

Details of Chris Christie's 'Stronger than the Storm' commericals go to politically active PR firm, high bidder
By Bob Jordan//Asbury Park Press

The “Stronger Than The Storm’’ TV commercials starring Gov. Chris Christie and his family are providing a near $5 million windfall of taxpayer dollars for a politically active public relations agency, more than $2 million higher than what the runner-up firm planned to charge...The contract documents shine new light on the role Christie administration officials had in the TV commercials, controversial because they give Christie more exposure during a gubernatorial election year, and also because they introduce him to voters in other states in advance of a possible 2016 presidential campaign. The top official on the selection committee, appointed by Christie, once received a $49,000 loan from Christie when he was the U.S. Attorney for New Jersey.

Firm behind Christie's 'Stronger than the Storm' commercials hired top GOP insider before winning contract
By Bob Jordan//Asbury Park Press

MWW bolstered its relationship with state Republicans in the weeks before making a bid on the $25 million “Stronger Than The Storm’’ government advertising contract, hiring the former executive director of the Burlington County Republican Committee and acquiring a government affairs firm headed by a longtime GOP strategist. Rich Levesque, the former Burlington leader, was billed as having “strong relationships over the years with many of Governor (Chris) Christie’s closest advisors as well as many of his cabinet appointees,” according to bid documents MWW submitted to state officials. Republican Christie’s administration in April awarded the contract to MWW and a subcontractor, who are getting $4.7 million for employee compensation and markups to run the campaign. That’s more than $2 million over what the runner-up bidder planned to charge.

Gov. Christie's shameless $2M self-promotion: Editorial
Star-Ledger Editorial

What makes this so offensive is that the money comes from federal aid intended for storm victims. So the next time the governor visits the Shore to take credit for Washington’s help, maybe the families and small business owners who are still on their knees can ask the governor why he ranked his own self-promotion as a higher priority than their relief.

Same old tune under Christie
Asbury Park Press Editorial

New Jersey is definitely stronger than the storm. But it apparently isn’t any stronger than Gov. Chris Christie’s ego and state politics as usual.

How else to explain the “Stronger Than The Storm” TV commercials, starring Christie and his family, that are providing a windfall of nearly $5 million in taxpayer dollars for a politically active public relations agency — more than $2 million higher than what the runner-up firm planned to charge.

Hypocrisy, Thy Name Is Christie: 'Stronger than the Storm' commercials go to politically active PR firm, cost $2M more than runner-up firm

Here's just another example of Chris Christie's "Do as I say, not as I do" hypocrisy.

In order to cash in on the aftermath of Hurricane Sandy and to promote himself to 2013 voters in New Jersey and 2016 voters around the country, Christie spent $2 million more than necessary to place himself and his family in those "Stronger than the Storm" T.V. commercials that are running throughout the country this summer. Furthermore he gave all that extra money to the politically active East Rutherford-based MWW PR firm according to the Asbury Park Press.

"The “Stronger Than The Storm” TV commercials starring Gov. Chris Christie and his family are providing a near $5 million windfall of taxpayer dollars for a politically active public relations agency, more than $2 million higher than what the runner-up firm planned to charge.

The ads are part of this season’s $25 million state tourism campaign funded by the federal disaster aid package approved by Congress after superstorm Sandy. Under terms of a state contract, subsequent campaigns for 2014 and 2015 will be subject to the availability of additional funding.

East Rutherford-based MWW and a subcontractor are billing the state $4.7 million for employee compensation and markups to run this year’s campaign, according to information obtained through a public records request by the Asbury Park Press. The remainder goes toward TV and radio commercial production, media buys and promotions.

The contract documents shine new light on the role Christie administration officials had in the TV commercials — controversial because they give Christie more exposure during a gubernatorial election year, and also because they introduce him to voters in other states in advance of a possible 2016 presidential campaign. The top official on the selection committee, appointed by Christie, once received a $49,000 loan from Christie when he was the U.S. attorney for New Jersey.

The two bidders had different views on how the campaign should be run. MWW proposed putting Christie in the ads. The other bidder, a team headed by the Sigma Group, did not...." read more

A statement released by the Barbara Buono, Christie's challenger in this year's campaign for governor ,had this to say about Christie's latest hypocrisy:

"Once again, Governor Christie has allowed his ego to get in the way of what's best for New Jerseyans. Based on today's report, the primary rationale for the winning selection was not cost nor experience but shameless self-promotion. This is absolutely outrageous, especially as families are still out of their homes and trying to rebuild their lives. Clearly this was not the intended use of $25 million in federal recovery funding. The Governor should be ashamed of himself for making critical decisions affecting hundred of thousands through the prism of his national ambitions. It is just wrong."